Toccoa Attorney Charged in Drug Case

An area attorney with an office in Toccoa is facing charges after the Georgia Bureau of Investigation arrested him last week.

GBI Spokesman John Bankhead said the agency arrested 49-year-old Jerry Bruce Harkness, Sr. of Demorest at his office last Friday in Habersham County and charged him with six counts of felony distributing a Schedule Two controlled substance and six counts of felony use of a communications facility to commit a felony.

Bankhead said agents from the GBI’s Regional Drug Enforcement Office in Canton began the investigation in late October after being contacted by local police about allegations against Harkness.

Arrest warrants stated that the alleged incidents occurred between November 20 and November 28.

Five of the six incidents allegedly happened at Harkness’ law office in Demorest, with the sixth allegedly taking place at a fast food restaurant parking lot in Cornelia.

Senior Superior Court Judge Stephen Boswell signed the arrest warrants Friday and Harkness was arrested the same day.

According to court documents in Habersham County, Harkness posted a $50,000 bond.